


More than Skin Deep

by VyeLoyomBrightwarrior



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 23:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20236039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VyeLoyomBrightwarrior/pseuds/VyeLoyomBrightwarrior
Summary: This is the scene where Rumple makes the deal to get Belle, written from Rumple's pov. I hope you guys enjoy!





	More than Skin Deep

Rumpelstiltskin hated more than one thing of course. Nobility usually drove him mad, since they seemed to only care about themselves and not take care of the people they were supposed to support. Fairies weren’t much better in his mind, for similar reasons (and maybe also because they were the ones who had given Bae the bean that separated father and son). But if there was one thing that Rumple hated more than anything else, it was ogres.

Which was why, when he got a note asking for help in fighting ogres, he was intrigued. Most people just called his name, but here he’d been given a note. One promising gold. It was like they didn’t even know anything about him. And yet, they were fighting ogres. They had to be desperate, if they were calling on him. It wouldn’t hurt to pay them a visit.

But naturally he didn’t just waltz right in. Oh no. Instead he wanted to observe the people he was going to be making a deal with first. After all, it would help him get a feel for what they were like, what they would be willing to offer him. And what he’d actually want. It was just a good idea to know the people he was going to be dealing with, and so it was that he’d been watching the war room for a while.

The most interesting thing to him, was the lone woman in the room. He wasn’t entirely sure why she was there, if he was honest. She stood there silently for the most part, holding her book to her chest as the men discussed battle tactics. But when she did speak… well she seemed smarter than the men. She seemed out of place, and yet he valued her as the most important person in the room. Even though no one else there seemed to think that what she said had much merit. It was intriguing to say the least.

She was clearly a noble, daughter of the man who had sent him the letter in the first place. It made him wonder if she hadn’t been the one to influence him into doing so. She may not be as versed in war strategies as the others, but she’d clearly done what research she could on ogres, and it would make sense that she’d done the same about the Dark One. He wasn’t sure of course, but the more he watched her the more interested he became.

“Sir, there’s news from the battlefield,” one of the men spoke up, having just gotten a letter from one of the messenger birds. “Avonlea has fallen.” The woman turned to look at the knight standing beside her, clearly upset like everyone else. Yet she still had hope in her eyes, hope that something could be done. Her father clearly did not.

“My gods,” he muttered, staring down bleakly at the map table.

“If only he had come,” the knight, who Rumple had discovered was named Gaston, mused. He was talking like it was all over, like they’d already lost. In fact almost everyone in the room had that look on their face.

“Well he didn’t, did he?” the leader, Maurice, retorted in anger.

“Oh yes he did,” Rumple mumbled to himself, giggling softly. “He just hasn’t made himself known to you yet.” And he wasn’t going to, not until the perfect moment struck. After all, he liked to put on a bit of a show when he made deals with others, and part of that was making a good entrance.

The knight and the woman exchanged a look, clearly not thrilled with how the king had responded. Neither, however, seemed entirely sure what to do. And yet… well it looked like Gaston was encouraging the woman to help her father. Interesting. Was she the one keeping him hopeful, keeping him going? That would make sense. She did, after all, seem to be the most optimistic person in the room. Not, fortunately, an unreasonable optimism. She just… well she had hope things could turn around when everyone else had lost that hope. Which naturally was even more interesting.

The king retreated towards his throne, and as he did his daughter placed her book down on the war table. Belle, he’d heard her name spoken before. Beautiful. And she certainly was that, in her yellow gown with her pretty eyes. But she was so much more than a pretty face, and he was starting to wonder if the others in the room were aware of that fact.

“Ogres are not men,” the king stated the obvious, as he sat down regally on his throne. Rumple rolled his eyes, more annoyed at the man than anything else.

“Oh really? Maybe that’s why they’re called by a different name,” Rumple sneered to himself. Honestly, it was hard to believe this man had fathered the woman who had shown herself to be so intelligent already. 

“We have to do something,” Gaston insisted. “We have to stop them.”

“Maybe, oh I don’t know, join the fight yourselves?” Rumple interjected, even though no one could hear him. He understood why they didn’t. He knew better than anyone how brutal ogres could be, that fighting one was like being given a death sentence. But really there were how many guards in this room? Surely if matters were dire enough to call on him they could spare a few of their experienced men to go and fight. Not that he supposed that mattered now, since he was going to fix that problem for them.

“They are unstoppable,” the king insisted on being depressed.

“Maybe for you,” Rumple agreed. And, to his surprise, someone else shared his sentiment.

The woman had approached her father, kneeling down in front of him and clutching his hand as she looked up into his face. “He could be on his way right now, Papa.” He blinked a moment, focus back to her entirely. Interesting. She had faith in him, that he’d still come and save them all. It was a naive sort of faith, it seemed. And yet… something about it warmed his heart.

“It’s too late, my girl,” her father replied, making Rumple roll his eyes. “It’s just… too late.” But ahh, this was perfect wasn’t it? Most had lost hope, all except one really. So now would be the perfect time for his entrance. He used his magic to knock, rather loudly, on the door to the room. He smirked as everyone in the room turned towards the door with startled expressions on their faces.

The only who seemed unsurprised was Belle. “It’s him. It has to be him,” she stated with conviction, standing with her father as the two stood to walk to the door. Fascinating, that she believed in him even though she didn’t know him. She knew of him, perhaps, but still. He was the Dark One, and thus unpredictable. Yet she believed that he would come to save her and her people. But if she thought he was going to do it for gold, or gods forbid the goodness of her heart, she had another thing coming. She had so much hope still, did she? And such faith in him? Well, how would she feel if his price was something that affected her personally. Would she be able to keep her optimism then?

“How could he get past the walls?” Maurice asked, making Rumple roll his eyes. They wanted him because he could give them a _magic_ solution, right? So they shouldn’t be surprised when he used his magic. “Open it,” the king commanded then, and soldiers removed the heavy plank of wood that barred the door. Rumple used that time to appear on the recently vacated throne, holding one of the little model buildings from the war table as he watched everyone else watch the door open.

The knight, naturally, started to draw his sword, ready for a fight as knights were supposed to be. But naturally, there was no one on the other side. It was just an empty hallway, and Rumple smiled broadly, giving them a moment to stare at the emptiness like idiots for a moment. “Well, that was a bit of a letdown,” he said, calling attention to himself before he giggled, genuinely amused at their reactions.

He fiddled with the little building as everyone looked to him, seeming rather shocked. Belle didn’t look shocked though, more just a bit wary. As if she was thinking, calculating how to react and deal with him, wondering why he was doing what he was doing and what he would do next. She certainly was the smartest person in the room. Gaston clearly wasn’t, because he drew his sword and approached, as if a sword could do anything against magic. For now, Rumple ignored him, intent on putting on a show for the curious woman.

“You sent me a message,” he recalled, thinking that the knight might get the message and put away his sword. They had invited the Dark One here. What did they expect, him to just ride in on a horse like a normal person? “Something about, um, ‘Help. Help. We’re dying. Can you save us?’” He punctuated each word with his hand, grinning up at them once he was done. He wondered if it was lost on them that he was literally holding their town in his hands. Or at least, a representation of it. He suspected it probably was lost on most of them, except perhaps the woman.

She looked at her father for a moment, seeming more curious about him then scared, which was naturally intriguing. Of course, she was a bit scared. She’d be a fool not to be. But she also recognized that he was here because they’d asked him to be, and that he could have killed them all already if he’d chosen to. So that meant curiosity took precedent. Which was good. He was curious too. And he had just the thing to satisfy both of their curiosities. Well, mainly his naturally, but that was beside the point.

He started to rise from the throne then, now that he’d established his power by sitting on the throne. “Now the answer is….” He paused for dramatic effect, slapping the knight’s sword away as he continued. “Yes, I can.” He tossed the building he was holding to one of the other men in the room, and to his surprise the man managed to catch it. Not that he was looking. He was too intent on the king, his night, and of course, the princess. “Yes I can protect your little town,” he assured them as he walked closer to the two nobles. “For a price,” he added, pointing a finger at Maurice.

It wasn’t lost on him that he was the shortest man in the room, but he got the feeling that no one else seemed to notice. This was why performance and establishing power was key. He held such a presence now that one could easily forget he was a head shorter than them. It proved size didn’t matter. Only the power did.

“We sent you a promise of gold,” Maurice said as he came closer. The tone was bordering on accusatory. Perhaps it was just defensive. Either way, Rumple wasn’t exactly pleased. They’d asked him for his help after all. They should be willing to pay whatever price he asked for, or else be prepared to deal with their problem themselves.

“Ah, no you see, um… I uh… _make_ gold.” Which should be obvious to anyone who’d heard of him, stupid noble. “What I want is something a bit more… _special_,” he commented. He noticed that Maurice and Gaston were watching him warily, but it was Belle who seemed to be paying the most attention, waiting to hear what he’d say. The look she was giving him was so intense. Curious, calculating, but not defensive. No she wasn’t nearly as wary as she should be. And yet… that’s what made her so interesting.

He looked at the king as he continued to speak, but he’d made up his mind long ago. He wasn’t here to make a deal with Maurice, after all. “My price… is her.” He pointed past the king towards Belle, the person he really wanted to deal with. She was, after all, an intriguing human, and he didn’t get intrigued often. She seemed to be a smart and kind noble, something he’d come to think of as an oxymoron. And she also had a great deal of hope and strong believes that couldn’t be snuffed out by the men who ignored her. But would she break if she was stuck with him? Would she finally loose hope when she had to do chores for the Dark One? There was only one way to find out.

Belle looked at him as if she was ready to speak, but Gaston moved his arm down in front of her, trying to protect her no doubt. She looked rather annoyed at that, as well she should be. “No,” her father spoke for her. As if she was just some object and not capable of making the decision herself.

“The young lady is engaged,” Gaston said. His voice was rather boringly monotone. Rumple didn’t know how Belle managed to put up with him if he was honest. “To me.” He walked past them, making the knight move to keep himself between Rumple and the lady.

“I wasn’t asking if she was engaged,” Rumple said as if that was ridiculous. Because of course it was. Him, wanting to marry a noble? And one he’d just met at that? As if. Nobles were all so stupid, with their courting and rules about who could marry who. Rumple didn’t want any part of that. “I’m not looking for love. I simply need a caretaker, for my rather large estate.”

That seemed to grab Belle’s interest. She seemed to be confused, perhaps wondering why he’d want a caretaker. If she was, she was right to do so. He could, naturally, keep his place clean with magic. He didn’t need a caretaker, and anyone with a brain could discover that. Or maybe she was surprised that he didn’t want to marry her or get under her dress. Was she used to only being looked at as someone to court? Possibly. Whatever the reason, he had her attention even more so now than he’d had before. “It’s her, or no deal,” he said, sure now more than ever that he wanted her to come with him. Maybe he could start to understand her if he got to know her.

“Get out,” her father said though, apparently unwilling to part with his daughter. Belle herself looked a bit annoyed at that, and Rumple tilted his head, unsure the king really wanted him gone. How would he save his people without the Dark One? “Leave!” he shouted though, making himself clear as he pointed towards the door. Gaston reached out an arm, shoving the princess backwards and seeming to make her more frustrated in the process. She glared at her father, as though trying to ascertain what he was trying to accomplish, if he had some other idea for how to save their people.

“As you wish,” Rumple agreed, starting to walk away. He could have teleported out of there, but he was giving the woman a chance to speak. He could sense her eyes on him, and he knew she knew they didn’t stand a chance against the ogres without him. He was just waiting for her to do something about it.

“No wait,” she said like he’d hoped she would. He smiled to himself. He’d almost gotten to the door, but not quite. She had called to him like he’d known she would. She may have some hope, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t desperate as well. Because her hope was him, and if he left she wouldn’t know what to do.

He turned back, looking towards her as she pushed Gaston’s arm aside like he had the man’s sword. Only she was gentler, naturally. And then she was stepping forward to talk to him, leaving Gaston to stare in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Belle to make the decision to talk to him. Her father had a similar expression on his face, but Rumple didn’t care. His eyes were on her as she stepped into the middle of the room, facing him.

She spoke, and while she did she was looking at him. Her words, however, weren’t addressed to him and they weren’t for him. After all, he and Belle both already knew what she was going to say. It was the rest of the room that needed to be told. “I will go with him.” Rumple giggled in delight, clapping his hands together. The others, however, weren’t so happy.

“I forbid it,” Gaston stated as if he had any say whatsoever.

“No,” her father added, sounding more distressed than commanding.

Rumple was happily surprised when Belle refused to let them say more than that. “No one decides my fate but me,” she stated. He stared at her, even more intrigued than he had been before. She was so strong, so brave. She was foolish too, naturally, to trust herself to him. But she understood it was the only way to help her people, so she was doing it. For them. And that was admirable. “I shall go,” she said, making sure that both her father and her betrothed understood before turning back to him.

“It’s forever Dearie,” he cautioned. He was sure, after all, that she’d want to leave eventually. And surely, she knew that too. Was she really willing to go with him?

“My family, my friends… they will all live?” she asked him. It was smart, making sure she knew what she was getting into. She must have heard of him, and knew that she had to make sure the parameters of the deal were decided. She hadn’t agreed just yet, not completely, and she wouldn’t do so until she was sure she was getting what she’d asked for. Very smart.

“You have my word,” he told her, giving her a little bow to go with his words.

She gave him a nod in return. “Then you have mine. I will go, with you, forever.”

“Deal,” Rumple agreed with a happy giggle, bouncing up and down in excitement. But unfortunately, her father wasn’t about to let things go that easily. Of course he wasn’t. He still thought he had a say in the matter when he clearly didn’t.

“Belle.” She looked down at the ground, seeming a bit annoyed at her father for interrupting. Or maybe she just didn’t want him to make it harder for her to go. Whatever the reason, she didn’t look back until he spoke again. “Belle. You cannot do this.” She seemed a bit concerned, reaching her hand up to his shoulder as he talked to her. “Belle, please. You can’t go with this… beat.”

Rumple feigned surprise, as if he hadn’t been called that and worse, placing a hand over his heart and widening his eyes and mouth as he looked off to the side. If he was supposed to be offended, that wasn’t going to do the trick.

“Father, Gaston,” Belle said, getting the two to look at her, instead of sending glares in his direction. “It’s been decided.” She was aware there was no more backing out of this deal, and he had to say that impressed him. He stepped forward towards her then, joining in the conversation once more.

“You know… she’s right.” He stood beside her, pointing at her for emphasis. Belle seemed to be a bit more scared now, but that was only logical. She had to go away with the Dark One, after all. “The deal, is struck.” He emphasized the last word by drawing a line with his hand, loving the way they all stared at him.

“Oh,” he said then, as if he’d just realized something. “Congratulations on your little war.” He giggled as everyone else just stared at him, their looks a mix of horror and disbelief. He turned Belle gently towards the door, placing a hand on her hip as he sauntered out with her beside him, looking at him as if wondering what to expect. She’d find out soon enough, just as he would find out more about her. In the end, he thought it a fair deal. He got to learn about someone who actually interested him, which was rare, and everyone else got to live. Belle didn’t seem like she was about to protest. She held her head up high, being brave even now the deal was made. He had the feeling that he was going to like her, very very much.


End file.
